The Dodgers used to be a hallmark of stability when it came to who ran the team---from managers Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda to general managers Al Campanis and Fred Claire and owners Walter and Peter O'Malley. Once the O'Malley's sold the team, there's been a lot more turnover (as has been the case with most other teams).
Despite our poor record during the 2005 season, we had both a very good manager (Jim Tracy) and a very good general manager (Paul DePodesta). By mutual agreement with the team, Jim Tracy has now left and has been named the new manager of the Pirates. Now rumors are circulating that DePodesta may be axed. I happen to support the so-called 'Moneyball' philosophy he espouses, so I will not be happy if this happens (and it's looking very likely that it will).
Our new manager has yet to be determined, although a few people have been told they're no longer candidates. The sentimental choice is former Dodger pitcher Orel Hershiser, but the thing with him is that while I think he is an awesome pitching coach, it's not clear how he'll be as a manager. I would be very excited about hiring him as a pitching coach, but I'm less excited about hiring him as a manager. That said, I'm not necessarily ecstatic about the other managerial candidates (which include Terry Collins and Alan Trammell but no longer include Torey Lovullo, Ron Wotus, or Jerry Royster). There are rumors we might go after Bobby Valentine, who is a brilliant tactician but has a sense of tact that is about as good as mine (which is definitely not a good quality for a manager).
Anyway, we'll see what happens.
[Update: DePodesta was officially fired later in the day.]
I'm running a little behind on my blog reading as I've been traveling a bit, but on the subject of MLB moves, if you're interested in learning something about the newest young front office exec in baseball check out this article. You may recognize at least one quoted source....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sptimes.com/2005/10/30/Rays/The_Rays__hottest_pro.shtml
Thanks for the reference. That was a nice article. It's depressing that he's slightly younger than me, but of course mathematics is a far more lucrative field. Hence, it's all good.
ReplyDeleteThere was one Caltech student from back in the day (maybe class of 96? I'd need to check) who did a SURF project on devising some new statistics for relief pitchers (saves and holds have some serious issues, for example). The story goes that Peter Angelos (I think it was him), a Caltech trustee or something like that, saw him give a presentation and was very impressed. This guy went to work for the Orioles after he graduated with the hopes of becoming a GM. (I don't know his current situation and would have to look up his name.) I am not 100% sure it was Angelos (though I know he got hired by the Orioles) because former Mariner owner George Argyros is also a trustee (or something). Damn rich people---I can't tell them apart!
The age thing can be a bitch. I remember thinking at age 35, "Mozart only lived to be this old. Soooo, how are you doing, Sport?" Hopefully Matt will still be in his job when he is that age although that is not a game where there's a helluva a lot of job security. Certainly relative to, say, math.
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase Tom Lehrer, "It is humbling to think that when Mozart was my age, he had already been dead for three years."
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